Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

Henryand#8217;s Hand is a story about the friendship between Henry, a giant, and his right hand. You see, Henry sometimes has trouble keeping track of his body partsand#151;everything from his ears to one of his legs can fall off. Once, his eye even rolled under the couch and wouldnand#8217;t come out until bedtime. But with help from Hand, Henry keeps himself together. In fact, Henry and Hand are the best of friends . . . that is, until Henry takes Hand for granted, pushes him too far, and Hand runs away. A charming tale of friendship, forgiveness, and loyalty, Henryand#8217;s Hand is also a quirky story for readers of all ages, especially those of us who know what it feels like to fight with your best friend.

Praise for Henry's Hand

and#147;A charming story with wonderful illustrationsand#151;give Ross and Henry a hand!and#8221;

and#147;Clever, moving, and funny. What more can you ask for in a beautifully illustrated childrenand#8217;s book?and#8221;

and#151;Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair and father of five

and#160;

and#147;In Ross MacDonaldand#8217;s world, fiendishly silly things happen as a matter of course. In Henryand#8217;s Hand, our weirdly lovable hero is falling apartand#151;literallyand#151;and chasing after the pieces. Only Henry is more human than he appears to beand#151;which canand#8217;t always be said about the rest of us!and#8221;

and#151;David Small, author/illustrator of Stitches, a National Book Award finalist and #1 New York Times bestseller

"Henry's Hand is funny and sweet, but creepily crazy enough to delight any young monster-lover. It delighted me."

"A good old-fashioned man/appendage love story for the agesand#133; Kids will come for the monster and the disembodied hand. Theyand#8217;ll stay for the story."

and#151;Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"All the pieces are in place, as it were, and MacDonald sets them in motion in a melodramatic plot that wraps up with a reunion worthy of applauseand#151;with both hands."

and#151;Publishers Weekly

"Itand#8217;s a ridiculous and bizarre concept, but also filled with a lot of heart."

and#151;School Library Journal

"Fresh and quirky tale about the bumps that occur even in the best of friendships."

and#151;The Bulletin of The Center for Childrenand#8217;s Books

Award

A Junior Library Guild Selection

2013 Parents' Choice Award - Recommended

Review

"Lovers of silly pop-culture allusions will get a kick out of these monster spoofs. The title poem sets the parodic tone. Frankenstein's monster, pursued by torch-bearing villagers, feels sad to be despised: 'They threw tomatoes,/ pigs, potatoes,/ loaves of moldy bread./ And then a thought struck Frankenstein/ as pickles struck his head.' Instead of pitying himself, he thanks the mob and makes a Dagwood sandwich. In subsequent pages, Rex (Tree Ring Circus)  in a mocking spirit akin to Sendak et al.'s Mommy?  parodies wolfmen and vampires. A recurring joke features an aggravated Phantom of the Opera who cannot compose music except to the tunes of 'Pop Goes the Weasel' and other standards ('It's a small world after all./ Angry cursing fills the hall./ Now he's crawling up the wall./ It's a small, small world'); a goofy Dracula tale follows the bouncy meter of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Rex demonstrates a dizzying yet fitting variety of artistic styles, layouts and lettering. For instance, he styles a Jekyll and Hyde tale as a 19th-century illustrated newspaper, a photo collage imitates a Japanese monster flick, and a perfectly realized Richard Scarry bunny gazes sweetly at a yeti in a sendup of a Little Golden Book ('The Yeti Doesn't Appreciate Being Called Bigfoot'). Rex gives readers the pleasure of discovering punch lines on their own, and his droll, ultra-detailed paintings show he takes comedy seriously. Ages 5-10. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review

"The book is fresh, creative, and funny, with just enough gory detail to cause a few gasps. Kids will eat it up." School Library Journal (Starred Review)

Review

"Readers will relish every gross and hilarious entry in this monstruous menu of misadventures....Here's a read-aloud candidate sure to elicit loud screams  but not of fright." Kirkus (Starred Review)

Review

* "The book is fresh, creative, and funny, with just enough gory detail to cause a few gasps. Kids will eat it up." --School Library Journal (September 2006) (starred review)(School Library Journal, Sep 1 2006 )

Review

* (starred review) "Readers will relish every gross and hilarious entry in this monstruous menu of misadventures... Heres a read-aloud candidate sure to clicit loud screams--but not of fright." --Kirkus (August 1, 2006)

Review

A Junior Library Guild Selection * "Readers will relish every gross and hilarious entry in this monstrous menu of misadventures. . . . Hereand#8217;s a read-aloud candidate sure to elicit loud screamsand#8212;but not of fright." and#8212;Kirkus Reviews, starred review * "The book is fresh, creative, and funny, with just enough gory detail to cause a few gasps. Kids will eat it up."and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review "With irreverent entries such as and#8216;Count Dracula Doesn't Know Heand#8217;s Been Walking Around All Night With Spinach in His Teeth,and#8217; this mash of monster poems will send kids howling (with laughter)."and#8212;Family Fun

Review

"From Blunder Woman to Stuporman, this gallery of underemployed B-list superheroes is up for any task."--Kirkus "There is definite kid appeal with the superhero themes."--School Library Journal "Jones' exaggerated cartoon interpretations of these bumblers keeps things super-duper silly."--Booklist

Review

"Landry has carefully crafted a seemingly simple tale about graciousness, generosity and openness to new friendships and packaged it into what is sure to be a perennial Halloween favorite."and#8212;Kirkus

"More treat than trick . . . Carve a pumpkin, dim the lights, and read Trick or Treat for a spooktacular holiday storytime."and#8212;Horn Book

"A good pick for readers who like their Halloween fare on the mild side."and#8212;Publishers Weekly

"The line-and-watercolor drawings capture the fun of the mix-up, and the pithy text with a neat twist will suit the young ones."and#8212;Booklist

"Schools, libraries, and families that want to celebrate Halloween with young and/or timid children will definitely want an invitation to Oliver's party."and#8212;Bulletin

Synopsis

Nineteen hilarious poems delve into the secret lives of Frankenstein, Wolfman, Dracula, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Bigfoot, Godzilla, and others. Full color.

Synopsis

Being a monster isn't all frightening villagers and sucking blood. Monsters have their trials, too. Poor Frankenstein's cupboard is bare, Wolfman is in need of some household help, and it's best not to get started on Dracula's hygiene issues. What could be scarier?

Nineteen hilarious poems delve into the secret lives of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Bigfoot, Godzilla, and others. In a range of styles that pay homage to everyone from Charles Schulz to John James Audubon, the monstrously talented Adam Rex uncovers horrific  and clever  truths you won't want to miss.

Synopsis

A hilarous look at the day-to-day life of the average ghoul.

Synopsis

A hilarous look at the day-to-day life of the average ghoul. Being a monster isnt just about frightening villagers and sucking blood. Monsters have their trials, too. Poor Frankensteins cupboard is bare, Wolfman is in need of some household help, and its best not to get started on Draculas hygiene issues. What could be scarier? These nineteen hilarious poems delve into the secret lives of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Bigfoot, Godzilla, and others. A Junior Library Guild Selection.

Synopsis

You may already know of Superman, Spiderman, and the Hulk, but you certainly don't know the heroes in this collection of humorous poems about a group of oddball B-list superheroes looking for work, from Marilyn Singer, author of Tallulah's Tutu and Mirror, Mirror.

Synopsis

From Blunder Woman and Muffy the Vampire Sprayer to Stuporman and The Bulk, meet the members of the Superheroes Employment Agencyand#8212;lovable misfits with oddball powers who make up for their lack of fame with an eagerness to please and a can-do attitude. These humorous, kid-friendly poems are sure to entertain while introducing readers to poetry in a fun, lighthearted, and accessible way. Told in Marilyn Singerand#8217;s witty verse and Noah Z. Jonesand#8217;s hilarious illustrations, their story will make you laugh and cheer on these champions in their quests for heroic jobs.

Synopsis

With a spare text and child-friendly art, Leo Landryand#160;captures the charm and allure of a secret Halloween world in this young picture book.

Synopsis

and#8220;The last day of October had finally arrived. The empty house at the end of the street mysteriously came to life.and#8221; Oliver, the ghost who lives in that empty house, lives for Halloween! He always has a big party. To get ready, he puts dust on the furniture, welcomes the spiders, wakes up the black cats, and delivers his invitations! This time, though, one envelope goes astray and two human trick-or-treaters show up. Are treatsand#8212;or tricksand#8212;in order? Simple, cartoonish watercolor and pencil illustrations complement this sweet tale of the spirit of generosity and acceptance.

About the Author

Being a monsterand#160;isn't all frightening villagers and sucking blood.and#160;Monsters have their trials, too. Poor Frankenstein's cupboard is bare, Wolfman is in need of some household help, and it's best not to get started on Draculaand#8217;s hygiene issues. What could be scarier?

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Nineteen hilarious poems delve into the secret lives of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Bigfoot, Godzilla, and others. In a range of styles that pay homage to everyone from Charles Schulz to John James Audubon, the monstrously talented Adam Rex uncovers horrific--and clever--truths you won't want to miss.

A Junior Library Guild Selection * "Readers will relish every gross and hilarious entry in this monstrous menu of misadventures. . . . Hereand#8217;s a read-aloud candidate sure to elicit loud screamsand#8212;but not of fright." and#8212;Kirkus Reviews,starred review * "The book is fresh, creative, and funny, with just enough gory detail to cause a few gasps. Kids will eat it up."and#8212;School Library Journal,starred review "With irreverent entries such as and#8216;Count Dracula Doesn't Know Heand#8217;s Been Walking Around All Night With Spinach in His Teeth,and#8217; this mash of monster poems will send kids howling (with laughter)."and#8212;Family FunADAM REX is the author and illustrator manyand#160;picture books and novels for children, includingand#160;PSSST!, Tree Ring Circus, andFrankenstain Takes the Cake. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Visit his websiteand#160;at www.adamrex.com.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Average customer rating 4.5 (2 comments)

A humorous look at monsters galore, with a little something for everyone, written in verse. I read the second book first, Frankenstein Takes the Cake, and upon finding out there was another, opted to read this one as well. With hidden gems, lines and prose tucked into virtually every corner, including the Library of Congress information page (The Invisible Man's snow-angel), this book is a treasure trove just waiting to be explored, poked, and laughed at. Some of the jokes are definitely aimed at an older crowd, but that just enforces the fact that this book is for all ages - ideally to be read aloud as a family.
I can only hope that Mr. Rex will continue to delight us with further displays of monster atrocities in verse. This was beautiful (and beautifully illustrated throughout).

It's hard to know who will enjoy this monstrous book of verse more: kids, who will relish the over-the-top silliness of poems like "Count Dracula Doesn't Know He's Been Walking Around All Night with Spinach in His Teeth," or adults, who could lose themselves for hours exploring the complex visual allusions in the illustrations. Frankenstein makes a Sandwich is a tasty and satisfying feast.